Category: Rugby

Aberavon 10 – 17 Newport
by Paul Williams

The Wizards’ disappointing run of recent results continued, but Newport can thank two defensive lapses that gifted them a try in each half. In truth illness and injuries disrupted Aberavon’s team selection once again, with a number of late withdrawals exacerbating the situation, but one can rest assured that this would not be offered as an excuse by Jason Hyatt and his coaching team. The main post-match talking point, however, was a controversial call that came early in the second half and affected what remained of the match.

The visitors took an early lead when a driving lineout finished with hooker Henry Palmer touching down beneath a pile of bodies for an unconverted try. Home fly-half Aled Thomas reduced the arrears with a penalty goal, but then a combination of a favourable (from a Newport perspective) bounce and a mix-up in the home defence presented centre Cameron Lewis with a clear run-in to the posts which fly-half Matt O’Brien converted to make the score 3-10 at the interval.

The home side seemed to raise their game in the second half, although play continued to be littered with errors from both sides as the bitterly cold conditions affected handling. Certainly the Aberavon pack were clearly gaining the upper hand with their scrummaging prowess beginning to take its toll on their opponents. A period of intense pressure on the visitors’ goal line yielded a succession of penalty awards, with the home side opting to take the scrum option each time, with either a pushover try or penalty try looking increasingly likely.

What followed, however, both mystified and angered the Aberavon camp as a touchline conversation involving an assistant referee and members of the Newport coaching staff saw referee Tom Spurrier walk over to the touchline to join the discussion, the outcome of which was a change to the visitors’ front row with prop Thomas Davies, who had been replaced just a few minutes earlier, returning to the field. Play then continued with passive scrums, despite there being a full complement of front-row players on the field, and although the pressure eventually saw lock Shay Smallman crash over from close range for Thomas’ conversion to reduce the arrears to just two points, there can be no doubt that the Wizards’ strongest attacking weapon had been disarmed.

Ultimately, the Wizards were unable to add to their score, with a corner try for wing Aled Rees being ruled out due to the final pass having been adjudged forward, and had to content themselves with the single losing bonus-point as Ioan Davies all but sealed the win six minutes from time when another bounce of the ball eluded the home defence for the winger to touch down in the right-hand corner.

Score:
Aberavon 10 – 17 Newport

Aberavon Team:
Chris Banfield; Gabe Lacey, Joe Thomas, Bradley Roderick (rep Callum Carson 60 min), Aled Rees; Aled Thomas (rep Rhys Jones 66 min), Iwan Temblett (rep Rhodri Cole 60 min); Rhys Fawcett (rep Jordan Walters 55 min), Luke Davies (rep Ieuan Davies 66 min), Geraint James (rep Chris Davies 52 min), Shay Smallman (rep Sam Pailor 66 min), Rhodri Hughes (rep Sam Parris-Williams 49 min), Joe Tomalin-Reeves (capt), Andrew Waite, Lloyd Evans.

Notes:
Gabe Lacey appeared from Porthcawl RFC.

Aberavon Scorers:
T – Shay Smallman
C – Aled Thomas
P – Aled Thomas

Newport Scorers:
T – Henry Palmer, Cameron Davies, Ioan Davies
C – Matt O’Brien

Referee:
Tom Spurrier

Man Of The Match:
1 – Chris Banfield
2 – Andrew Waite
3 – Luke Davies

Time Line:
03 min: Newport – T – Henry Palmer (0 – 5)
10 min: Newport – Yellow Card – Nathan Evans
13 min: Aberavon – PG – Aled Thomas (3 – 5)
21 min: Newport – End Yellow Card – Nathan Evans
26 min: Newport – T – Cameron Davies & C – Matt O’Brien (3 – 12)
40 min: Half Time
61 min: Aberavon – T – Shay Smallman & C – Aled Thomas (10 – 12)
74 min: Newport – T – Ioan Davies (10 – 17)
80+5 min: Full Time

Llanelli 21-55 Aberavon
Indigo Group Premiership, 11th February 2023
by Paul Williams

The Wizards got back to winning ways with an emphatic eight-try performance to score a league ‘double’ for the season against a Llanelli side that never gave up despite facing an Aberavon side that was clearly determined to get their season back on track following some recent disappointments.

While Aberavon’s scrummaging prowess has been a feature for much of the season, on this occasion it was the Wizards’ collective running and handling that the home side struggled to contain. A decent supply of possession came from a pack that worked tirelessly, in which lock Rhodri Hughes was a tower of strength in both lineout and loose play. Behind them experienced fly-half Aled Thomas was in masterful form as the midfield playmaker, and the sparse crowd were treated to some scintillating moments as the visitors’ set about building a commanding lead.

It took just two minutes for the Wizards to register their first score, as a clever kick ahead from flanker Lloyd Evans saw Stef Andrews comfortably win the race to touch down for the opening try. Thomas added the conversion, and shortly afterwards added a penalty goal.

Evans himself was then in on the act as he forced his way over from close range for Thomas to again convert, taking the score to 0-17 after fifteen minutes.

A rare Llanelli sortie into Aberavon territory then saw the home side register their first points, with Ieuan Davies adjudged by referee Dewi Phillips to have collapsed a driving maul close to the goal line, earning the home side a penalty try and himself a ten-minute spell in the sin-bin.

Any thoughts of the Aberavon hooker’s temporary absence letting Llanelli back into the game, however, were short-lived as within a couple of minutes a bout of quick passing saw full-back Jonathan Phillips cross for Thomas to again convert, and ten minutes later a length-of-the-field move that featured a superb run from Liam Seaward saw Phillips go racing in for his second try. Thomas’ fourth conversion made it 7-31, and although Aberavon skipper Joe Tomalin-Reeves was himself sin-binned for a technical offence close to the visitors’ goal-line, there seemed to be little cause for optimism in the home camp with the Wizards having already secured a bonus point.

Shortly after the interval the Wizards were again on the attack, and scrum-half Seaward did well to dart around the blind side of a scrum and squeeze in at the corner for an unconverted try.

Seconds before Tomalin-Reeves returned to the fray Llanelli got their second try through centre Joe Hutchings, with Luke Davies adding the extras to make it 14-36, but with the Wizards back to full strength a driving line-out saw Ieuan Davies claim a typical touch-down with Thomas again adding the conversion.

The final few minutes brought another flurry of scoring. Back row replacement Andrew Waite launched an attack from inside the Aberavon 22 that gained impetus as the backs joined in, with centre Callum Carson eventually crossing in the left-hand corner for an unconverted try to make it 14-48, before Hutchings and Davies between them conjured a further converted try for the home side, but the Wizards then produced a fitting finale as they ran out the ball from close to their own line, with Brad Roderick racing away before linking with Carson who in turn found Chris Banfield racing up inside him. Support appeared in the form of replacement scrum-half Rhodri Cole, returning to action after a spell out injured, racing up the middle to take Banfield’s pass and cross at the posts for Thomas to convert with the final kick of the match.

Food for thought

The prospect of us hosting the great Newport club prompted me to start thinking of how much rugby union in Wales has changed during my lifetime. This was always among the biggest of big fixtures on the Aberavon calendar and I recall some terrific matches played in front of capacity crowds. Those were the days when, twenty minutes before kick-off, there’d be a plea over the public address system for people to please move closer together in the grandstand so that the people still queueing outside could be accommodated.

Sadly those days are long gone, and even more sadly Newport RFC, one of the historically senior Welsh rugby clubs, mostly now ply their trade away from their traditional home. We were privileged to be able to play them at Rodney Parade earlier this season, but it seems such occasions are very much the exception rather than the rule.

In Wales the formation of the regions – unbelievably twenty years ago – would seem to have been the catalyst for the game to change beyond all recognition, but that restructuring of the domestic game was itself triggered by the advent of professionalism some years earlier, officially in the mid-1990s but in reality something that had been rumbling on far, far longer, with the game’s top stars having been expected for many a long year to maintain standards comparable with those of top professionals in other sports, despite the strict restrictions of the amateur code. I shall refrain here from saying too much about the result of Welsh rugby’s “regionalisation” other than to say that, from where I’m sitting, they are looking less like regions and more like the “superclubs” that were advocated by many during the early 2000s.

People will, quite justifiably, point to a pretty successful run for Wales on the international stage since 2003, but as the past year or so has unfolded we find ourselves looking at the very real prospect of a Six Nations whitewash – the remaining matches against a rejuvenated Italy in Rome and the impressive but unpredictable French in Paris offer no reason for optimism, so please forgive me if I leave my Wales hat hanging on the hook and keep my Aberavon hat on (metaphorically speaking, of course – I don’t actually own any hats) as even the recent inconsistencies of the injury-ravaged Wizards generate rather more hope in my heart and mind.

So, on to the matter in hand – and the question of whether either the Wizards and the Black and Ambers can rise to the heights that this fixture has historically scaled. Both clubs have experienced highs and lows this season, but at their best should be capable of putting on a show worthy of the occasion.

Enjoy the game.

Many Happy Returns

Everyone associated with Aberavon RFC would like to wish a very happy 9th birthday to Cefin Thomas for this coming Monday. Cefin is quite literally a lifelong Aberavon supporter, having been brought to an Aberavon match by his parents when he was just a few days old, and has hopes of one day pulling on an Aberavon jersey and running out onto the Talbot Athletic Ground on an occasion such as today. Meanwhile he’s developing his already considerable rugby skills playing for Taibach RFC Juniors.

Team v Newport

The Aberavon team to face Newport at the Talbot Athletic Ground on Saturday at 2:30 pm is…

Aberavon Starting XV:
Jonathan Phillips; Jay Baker, Joe Thomas, Bradley Roderick, Aled Rees; Aled Thomas, Iwan Temblett; Rhys Fawcett, Luke Davies, Geraint James, Shay Smallman, Rhodri Hughes, Joe Tomalin-Reeves (capt), Andrew Waite, Lloyd Evans.

Replacements:
Rhodri Cole, Rhys Jones, Gabe Lacey, Ieuan Davies, Sam Parris-Williams, Sam Pailor, Jordan Walters, Chris Davies.

This Saturday, Aberavon (4th – 50pts) welcome Newport (7th – 40pts) to the Talbot Athletic Ground in the Indigo Group Premiership, kick-off at 2:30 pm.

Newport have won seven of their fourteen league games this season and have the most bonus points in the Premiership (six try bonus points and six losing bonus points). They started their season with four straight losses – all within four points – going down to Ebbw Vale, Cardiff, Llandovery and Swansea. The Black and Ambers then won their next four games, seeing off Aberavon, Carmarthen Quins, Pontypridd and Merthyr. A four point loss followed at Ebbw Vale before wins over RGC 1404 and Cardiff. Newport then picked up two points in their loss at Bridgend before they lost away to RGC 1404. In their last outing, at home to Swansea, the Black and Ambers had a bonus point win.

The Black and Ambers are in the semi-finals of the Welsh Cup having secured their place by topping their Pool after gaining bonus point wins over Swansea and Llanelli. They will face Pontypridd in Bridgend later this month in the semi-final of the competition.

Looking at the Premiership, in “attack”, Newport have scored 25.6 points on average per game (ranked 5th) and 3.3 tries (ranked 4th). In “defence” they have conceded 22.2 points on average per game (ranked 6th) and 2.7 tries (ranked 6th). Aberavon have scored 29.1 points per game (ranked 2nd) and 4.2 tries (ranked 2nd), and conceded 23.6 points (ranked 7th) and 2.9 tries (ranked 7th).

Head-to-head, Aberavon and Newport have met each other 46 times in the Welsh National League, with the Black and Ambers leading the series 25 – 20 with 1 game drawn. At the Talbot Athletic Ground, the Wizards lead 12 – 10 with 1 game drawn with Newport winning the last time the sides met at the ground in the league (30 – 25 in 2021-22).

Looking back to the 1998-99 season when the sides met at the ground for the second time that season after the league table had split into two, Newport came to Aberavon for a midweek game after the Wizards were already relegated from the Premier Division.

The visitors got on the scoreboard first when lock Gareth Taylor went over for a try converted by outside half Scott Mitchell. Aberavon tied the scores halfway through the opening half when outside half Cerith Rees made a break before passing to flanker Howard Merrett for the try. Rees added the two points.

Late in the half, Newport scored two quick tries as first Mitchell, and then centre Matthew Watkins scored, with Mitchell converting both.

There was still time in the half however for the Wizards to respond – scrum-half Andrew Jacobs scored in the corner, whilst deep into injury time, wing Daran Griffiths sprinted 60 metres for a try after full-back Richard Lewis had kicked ahead a loose pass by Newport. Rees converted the try by Griffiths to make the score 21 – 19 to the visitors at the interval.

Early in the second half, replacement flanker Alex Popham scored Newport’s fourth try. Mitchell converted. Shortly afterwards, it was the Wizards turn to score their fourth try as centre Peter Roberts touched down. A Rees penalty then made the score 28 – 27 to Newport.

Aberavon went ahead for the first time in the game when Rees scored a wonderful try that started from his own 22. His conversion put the Wizards 34 – 28 up and, halfway through the second half, he added a penalty to put Aberavon nine points up.

Mitchell and Rees then traded penalties before Mitchell scored his second try of the game deep in injury time. When he converted his own try, the referee blew for full-time with the Wizards winning 40 – 38.

The Aberavon starting XV that day was: Richard Lewis; Daran Griffiths, Tim Green, Peter Roberts, Paul Jones; Cerith Rees, Andrew Jacobs; Lloyd Howell, Justin Hughes (capt), Alun Bevan, Ian Strang, Aled Jones, Damien Neill, Richard Morris, Howard Merrett.

The referee for Saturday’s game is Tom Spurrier, aided by Elgan Williams and Steve Harwood.

Carmarthen Quins 28 – 17 Aberavon
by Paul Williams

Aberavon scored three tries to match the hosts, but finished on the losing side on a cold evening at Carmarthen Park as the home side redoubled their defensive efforts to maintain the upper hand with the boot of fly-half Steff Marshall instrumental in turning pressure into points.

The Wizards were hardly helped by the absence of several key players, not least in the back row of the scrum where skipper Joe Tomalin-Reeves, Lloyd Evans and Ashton Evans were all unavailable for a variety of reasons, so while Andrew Waite occupied his customary number eight position, Steff Lewis stepped into the unfamiliar openside role and lock Sam Pailor packed down on the other flank. Meanwhile behind the scrum Iwan Temblett was the only scrum-half available with Liam Seaward carrying an injury and Rhodri Cole having been taken ill on the eve of the match. Thankfully Temblett got through eighty minutes unscathed and with a try to his name.

It perhaps came as no surprise that the disruption was all too visible as the Quins made the early running. Almost directly from the kick-off Marshall was on target with a penalty, and the home side remained in the ascendancy for much of the opening quarter, going further ahead when left-wing Corum Nott just managed to elude Jay Baker’s tackle and crash over in the corner for an unconverted try.

The Wizards were finding progress through a dogged home defence difficult, although hooker Luke Davies and Andrew Waite were causing the home side problems with their pacy and powerful running and Joe Gage tried hard to create midfield space only to find his efforts thwarted by a determined home defence. They finally managed to reduce the deficit after a fine run by Stef Andrews paved the way for Aled Thomas to dummy his way over in the right-hand corner to make the score 8-5. However, Marshall took the home side further ahead with a try at the posts to which he inevitably converted. Aberavon hopes were then rekindled when a great run by Waite split the defence and Temblett was on hand to finish it off beneath the crossbar for Thomas to convert on the stroke of half-time, making the score 15-12.

Again the home side were quicker off the mark after the interval, with right-wing Kalum Evans put clear for a try after just two minutes with Marshall adding the extras. The second half then descended into an untidy, error-strewn affair. The Wizards got their third try as the hour mark approached; a huge overhead pass from Temblett found Andrews out wide, and although he was tackled inches short of the line replacement centre Joe Thomas was on hand to pick up and touch down in the corner. This unconverted try, however, came between two penalty goals from Marshall which left the Wizards facing a hill that they were never going to climb despite their best efforts.

Score:
Carmarthen Quins 28 – 17 Aberavon

Aberavon Team:
Stef Andrews; Jay Baker, Callum Carson (rep Joe Thomas 50 min), Joe Gage (capt) (rep Bradley Roderick 71 min), Frankie Jones; Aled Thomas (rep Rhys Jones 58 min), Iwan Temblett; Rowan Jenkins (rep Jordan Walters 58 min), Luke Davies (rep Ieuan Davies 65 min), Geraint James (rep Rhys Fawcett 65 min), Rhodri Hughes, Sam Parris-Williams (rep Shay Smallman 68 min), Sam Pailor, Andrew Waite, Steffan Lewis.

Replacement Not Used:
Jamie Cox.

Notes:
Steffan Lewis appeared from Tondu RFC. Jamie Cox appeared from Trebanos RFC.

Aberavon Scorers:
T – Aled Thomas, Iwan Temblett, Joe Thomas
C – Aled Thomas

Carmarthen Quins Scorers:
T – Corum Nott, Steffan Marshall, Kalum Evans
C – Steffan Marshall (2)
P – Steffan Marshall (3)

Referee:
Gareth Newman

Man Of The Match:
1 – Luke Davies
2 – Andrew Waite
3 – Stef Andrews

Time Line:
01 min: Carmarthen – PG – Steffan Marshall (3 – 0)
15 min: Carmarthen – T – Corum Nott (8 – 0)
28 min: Aberavon – T – Aled Thomas (8 – 5)
40+1 min: Carmarthen – T – Steffan Marshall & C – Steffan Marshall (15 – 5)
40+6 min: Aberavon – T – Iwan Temblett & C – Aled Thomas (15 – 12)
40+7 min: Half Time
42 min: Carmarthen – T – Kalum Evans & C – Steffan Marshall (22 – 12)
48 min: Carmarthen – PG – Steffan Marshall (25 – 12)
57 min: Aberavon – T – Joe Thomas (25 – 17)
63 min: Carmarthen – PG – Steffan Marshall (28 – 17)
80+4 min: Full Time

Team v Carmarthen Quins

The Aberavon team to face Carmarthen Quins at Carmarthen Park on Friday at 7:30 pm is…

Aberavon Starting XV:
Stef Andrews; Jay Baker, Callum Carson, Joe Gage (capt), Frankie Jones; Aled Thomas, Iwan Temblett; Rowan Jenkins, Luke Davies, Geraint James, Rhodri Hughes, Sam Parris-Williams, Sam Pailor, Steffan Lewis, Andrew Waite.

Replacements:
Rhys Jones, Bradley Roderick, Joe Thomas, Ieuan Davies, Jordan Walters, Shay Smallman, Dan Baker, Rhys Fawcett.

On Friday evening, Aberavon (3rd – 50 pts) travel to Carmarthen Park to take on Carmarthen Quins (9th – 20 pts) in the re-arranged Indigo Group Premiership game, kick-off at 7:30 pm.

The Quins have won four of their fifteen league games this season. They started their campaign with three straight losses as they went down to Llandovery, Swansea and Aberavon. In October, they beat Llanelli at home and picked up a bonus point in the process. They lost to Pontypridd a week later but picked up a losing bonus point in that game. They then lost seven games without picking up any points, with the last loss at home to Bridgend early in January. However, since then, the Quins have won three straight games, all away from home, with two of them with bonus points, as they’ve won at Swansea, Llanelli and, last weekend, Pontypridd.

Looking at the Premiership, in “attack”, Carmarthen Quins have scored 14.9 points on average per game (ranked 12th) and 1.9 tries (ranked 11th). In “defence” they have conceded 32.5 points on average per game (ranked 11th) and 4.2 tries (ranked 10th). Aberavon have scored 29.9 points per game (ranked 2nd) and 4.3 tries (ranked 2nd), and conceded 23.3 points (ranked 7th) and 2.9 tries (ranked 7th).

Head-to-head, Aberavon and Carmarthen Quins have met each other 36 times in the Welsh National League, with the Wizards leading the series 22 – 13 with 1 game drawn. At Carmarthen Park, the Quins narrowly lead 9 – 8 with the Wizards winning the last time the sides met in the league at the ground (9 – 7 in 2018-19)

Looking back to the 2003-04 season the Wizards won 27 – 18 at the ground. A superb pack and defensive performance helped the Wizards to that win as they took a 17 – 0 lead at halftime. Wing Lenny Woodard scored the only try of the half while outside half Jamie Davies slotted over four penalty kicks. At the end of normal time, the visitors led 27 – 11 with wing Sam Greenaway scoring a try for Aberavon and Davies converting and adding a fifth penalty. For the home side, centre Emyr Jones touched down while outside half Aled Thomas and replacement Giles Thomas kicked penalties. In injury time, the Quins scored a consolation try by flanker Alan Mason with Thomas converting.

The Wizards team that day was: Ricky Price; Lenny Woodard, Darren Ryan (rep Aled James), David Hawkins (rep Mark Davies), Sam Greenaway; Jamie Davies, Daniel Hawkins; Mike Harris (rep Greg Dix), James Jones, Paul Breeze (rep Mark Thomas), Dafydd Owen, Chris Gittins, Steffan Edwards (rep Jamie Summers), Jonathan Purnell (rep Richard Morris), Howard Merrett (rep Paul Breeze).

The referee for Friday’s game is Gwyn Morris, aided by Rhys Jones and Rhodri Morgan.

Merthyr 38 – 31 Aberavon

Match report to follow.

Score:
Merthyr 38 – 31 Aberavon

Aberavon Team:
Jonathan Phillips; Chris Banfield (rep Frankie Jones 54 min), Callum Carson, Joe Gage (capt) (rep Bradley Roderick 54 min), Stef Andrews; Aled Thomas, Liam Seaward (rep Rhodri Cole 23 min); Rhys Fawcett (rep Rowan Jenkins 50 min), Ieuan Davies (rep Luke Davies 66 min), Chris Davies (rep Geraint James 50 min), Shay Smallman, Rhodri Hughes, Steffan Lewis (rep Sam Pailor 54 min), Andrew Waite, Lloyd Evans.

Replacement Not Used:
Jamie Cox

Notes:
Liam Seaward appeared from Morriston RFC; Steffan Lewis appeared from Tondu RFC; Jamie Cox appeared from Trebanos RFC

Aberavon Scorers:
T – Andrew Waite, Chris Banfield, Stef Andrews, Luke Davies, Penalty Try
C – Aled Thomas (2)

Merthyr Scorers:
T – Tom Daley (2), Thomas Jevons, Teri Gee, Morgan Sieniawski, Rhys Davies
C – Gareth Thompson (4)

Referee:
Adam Jones

Man Of The Match:
1 – Andrew Waite
2 – Rhodri Hughes
3 – Ieuan Davies

Time Line:
08 min: Merthyr – T – Tom Daley & C – Gareth Thompson (7 – 0)
11 min: Aberavon – T – Andrew Waite & C – Aled Thomas (7 – 7)
26 min: Merthyr – Yellow Card – Rhys Davies
34 min: Aberavon – T – Chris Banfield & C – Aled Thomas (7 – 14)
37 min: Merthyr – T – Thomas Jevons & C – Gareth Thompson (14 – 14)
38 min: Merthyr – End Yellow Card – Rhys Davies
40+7 min: Half Time
42 min: Merthyr – T – Teri Gee (19 – 14)
49 min: Merthyr – T – Tom Daley & C – Gareth Thompson (26 – 14)
50 min: Merthyr – T – Morgan Sieniawski & C – Gareth Thompson (33 -14)
53 min: Merthyr – T – Rhys Davies (38 – 14)
65 min: Aberavon – T – Stef Andrews (38 – 19)
70 min: Aberavon – T – Luke Davies (38 – 24)
75 min: Merthyr – Yellow Card – Jack Perkins
77 min: Aberavon – T – Penalty Try (38 – 31)
80+2 min: Full Time